Contents

History

Before First Curse

Zelena is born in the Enchanted Forest, where her mother Cora gives birth to her months after she is abandoned by her child's father. Cora, believing she will never be able to rise above her station if she keeps her daughter, leaves her in a bassinet to be taken away by a cyclone, in the hopes her child's best chance is elsewhere without her. The bassinet ends up in the land of Oz and soon the girl is found by a woman who is immediately enchanted by her. The woman's husband, a woodcutter, witnesses the baby exhibit magic by felling a tree, though the latter remains oblivious. Frightened by what the child is capable of, the woodcutter tries to persuade his wife to not take in the baby, but she insists on it, deciding to name the child Zelena. ("Bleeding Through", "It's Not Easy Being Green")

Sometime during her childhood, Zelena's adoptive mother dies, leaving her to be raised solely by her adoptive father, who dislikes her ability to use magic. One day, while Zelena is outside her home collecting a stack of wood to place on a shelf, she accidentally drops the entire pile before using magic to make the wood float and fly into place on the shelf. Nearby, Cora secretly watches Zelena perform this magical feat with a pleased expression on her face. Zelena's father, however, is furious over witnessing her "wickedness", and though the girl promises not to do it ever again, he prepares to beat her as punishment, only for Cora to freeze him in place. Cora, having sought out Zelena because she is the only one who can heal her daughter Regina, who was injured by magic, offers Zelena a chance to prove to her father that her magic is not bad. After Cora brings Zelena home with her, the girl's eagerness to use her powers for good leads her into channeling magic into Regina, successfully curing her. Zelena becomes fast friends with Regina, and one morning, Regina sneaks out of bed to play dress-up with her. They pretend to be royal enemies, in which Regina aims an imaginary fireball at Zelena before they both burst into laughter. When Regina opens a drawer to take out a necklace for Zelena to wear as they continue to play, Zelena notices a box inside, that Regina states is where her mother used to keep her wand. Drawn to the box's design, Zelena touches it, unknowingly triggering the blood magic seal on it, causing the box to unlock. Regina, knowing about seal, suggests she and Zelena are related. They ask Cora, who admits the girls are siblings, with Regina hopeful about being a family with Zelena. Cora chides Regina for this, as she believes her daughter should depend on herself only, and if people find out about Zelena, everything she's worked towards for Regina's sake will be undone. On Cora's orders, guards take Zelena away as she and Regina hold onto each other until the two are pried apart by Cora. Regina vows to Zelena that they will always be sisters no matter what and that she will find her again, but Cora ensures this never happens, by having both girls take a potion to forget each other. ("Sisters")

While walking down the yellow brick road in Oz, Zelena comes across a man standing near a fallen tree. She asks him to move the tree from the road, but he instead shows her a bird's nest with a broken egg that he believes had fallen after he cut the tree. Zelena heals the egg with her magic and transports the nest into a nearby tree, which amazes him, causing him to ask her how she was able to do that. Zelena hesitantly admits it was magic before being interrupted when two bullies call her a freak because of her reputation as the monster who lives in the shack. Seeing the pair's slingshots, Zelena realizes the nest never fell out of the tree and that they purposely knocked it down. The two youngsters then prepare to use their slingshots on Zelena, who goes to hide, but the man scares them away by threatening to butcher them with his ax. Zelena is surprised he would help someone like her, however, he proclaims she is special due to her willingness to use magic to do good things. After he introduces himself as Stanum, Zelena gives him her name as well. ("Where Bluebirds Fly")

After many years, an older Zelena still lives with her father. While she is shaving his neck, he harps on her to always put on her best face to hide the ugliness inside herself. When she accidentally cuts him with the razor, she conjures a rag to wipe the blood, but her use of magic frightens and angers him. He reveals the truth, that she is not his biological daughter, and spitefully calls her "wicked". Hurt over his words, she consults the Wizard about her birth family, hoping they will want her instead. Zelena finds out she was abandoned because her own mother, Cora, wished to become royalty, which her first-born could not give. She glimpses her half-sister, Regina, who has become Queen and struggles during a magic lesson with her instructor, Rumplestiltskin. Gifted silver slippers, Zelena uses them to travel to Regina's palace, where she tries on her sister's clothes and succeeds in Rumplestiltskin's prior magic lesson. Rumplestiltskin witnesses this, and when she admits to being Cora's firstborn, he has doubts until testing her genetics. Accepted by him, she learns that he is making a powerful curse to take himself to a Land Without Magic. She is taught to channel rage, such as anger about her own abandonment as well as jealousy towards Regina, into magic. Rumplestiltskin also teaches Zelena how to let the rage go by thinking of a happy moment, and even shares his childhood memory of being raised by spinsters and eating meat-pies. This helps her realize her happiest moment is having met him. After the lesson, she bakes him a meat-pie, but he has to leave to teach Regina magic. Upset, she reacts in hysterics until he points out that her jealousy is literally turning her skin green. Unwilling to have competition, Zelena attacks Regina, though it is Rumplestiltskin in disguise. He disqualifies her as the future caster of his curse since one of the ingredients required for it is the thing she loves most—him—and that makes her too dangerous. He backtracks upon seeing the silver slippers she has, which can take him to a Land Without Magic. Too furious at his prior rejection, she scathingly promises him that he'll choose her next time. Returning to the Wizard, she asks for a way to change the circumstances of her own past, though he says it's impossible. She rips away the Wizard's curtain, discovering he is just a man putting on a show and transforms him into a pet flying monkey. As she gets a glimpse of Rumplestiltskin calling Regina his "best pupil", her jealousy reaches a boiling point, and Zelena's skin becomes completely green with envy. ("Bleeding Through", "It's Not Easy Being Green")

Shortly after, Glinda, the Witch of the South, recruits Zelena into a sisterhood of witches. Along with the Witch of the East and the Witch of the North, the trio believes Zelena is destined to join them because of a prophecy foretelling of a sorceress arriving by a cyclone and becoming the Witch of the West. Zelena is still obsessed with changing her past, but with Glinda's encouragement, she decides her own future as a good witch is more important. After receiving a pendant to harness her powers, Zelena views the western area of Oz, which she will be responsible for watching over. She and Glinda approach the wreckage from a cyclone to rescue a young girl named Dorothy. Fearing this child, who also arrived by a cyclone, is the actual Witch of the West, Zelena researches the prophecy in the Book of Records; discovering the sorceress will "unseat the greatest evil the realm has ever seen", whom she believes is herself. Even with Glinda's advisement that her fears may be not true, Zelena plots to get rid of Dorothy by attacking the girl with fire. However, Dorothy counters her assailant with water; causing Zelena to physically melt away. Despite being seemingly dead, Zelena reemerges at the Wizard's Emerald City palace, after Dorothy rejects Glinda's offer of joining the sisterhood since she only wants to go home. Assuming the Wizard's voice, she sends Dorothy back to Kansas with the silver slippers and then reveals herself to a shocked Glinda. Zelena reaffirms her goal of changing her own past, and to keep Glinda from finding another sorceress to fulfill the prophecy, she banishes the Witch of the South to the Enchanted Forest. ("Kansas")

With the Wizard under her control and Glinda trapped in the Enchanted Forest, Zelena takes dominion over the Emerald City and its guards. At some point, she acquires the elixir of the wounded heart. ("Heart of Gold")

On her birthday, Zelena spends it alone with a green cupcake and uses magic on a mirror to see the moment her mother abandoned her. Intending to prove to Cora that she deserted the wrong daughter, she moves forward with creating a time travel spell by getting the Scarecrow's brain. Before she can rip out the brain, Dorothy storms into the palace to stop her. While Zelena prepares to finish her with a fireball, Dorothy's dog Toto wanders into the room without her noticing. Zelena tosses the fireball at Dorothy, who ducks, with the flame incinerating a guard instead. Toto then tugs at a wall string, making the curtains topple onto Zelena, giving Dorothy time to flee with her dog and the Scarecrow. Blaming the munchkins for calling Dorothy back to Oz, she tries to intimidate them into giving up the girl's hiding spot, but the munchkins scatter after being frightened by Hades' flaming hair. Hades thanks her for providing him with many souls in the Underworld and later offers to help her find the Scarecrow. Sympathetic to her plight, Hades explains that he too has to compete with an older sibling who has everything he wants. Leading her to an area where Dorothy landed in Oz years ago, he persuades Zelena into riding Dorothy's old bicycle with him until they crash onto the ground, both giddy with laughter. After Zelena puts a tracking spell on the bike, she and Hades find Dorothy at a cottage. When Hades flirts with her, Zelena leans in to kiss him, but the romantic moment is cut short once they spot the Scarecrow. Confronting Dorothy, Zelena works quickly to extract the Scarecrow's brain, but she finds Hades gone. She returns to the palace, where Hades has prepared a celebratory banquet for her. Hades professes that he wants to be with Zelena and his belief that a kiss of true love between them can restart his non-beating heart. Zelena rejects him, suspecting he wants the time spell for himself to get his revenge on his brother Zeus since only one of them can use it. Because she believes no one can love her, she reasons that if he does love her, he won't stand in the way of her revenge. With a tone of finality, she sends him away, warning him to never show his face again. ("Our Decay")

As Zelena is having a meal in her palace, she becomes annoyed by the food's lack of flavor and orders one of her guards to pass her the salt. Suddenly, another guard reports that a man has arrived asking for her help. Zelena scoffs at this, recalling she already banished the Wizard of Oz a while ago yet people still come to the palace expecting assistance. When the man comes in, he reminds her of how he once held a bird's nest, which helps her recognize him as her old friend Stanum. He explains that he incurred the fury of the Wicked Witch of the North after he chopped down one of her trees and his punishment from her is to slowly turn into a tin man. Stanum requests Zelena's help with obtaining the Crimson Heart from a beast that can stop the curse from taking full effect on him. Zelena is briefly amused by the prospect of him as a tin man but ultimately sees no value out of helping him since she doesn't get anything out of the deal. Stanum suggests she can aid him in order to do good with her magic as she did in the past, however, Zelena brushes off the idea, believing using magic to be wicked is much more fun. Only when Stanum calls her out for turning him down because she's afraid of the beast, Zelena agrees to aid him in order to prove she is not only powerful but not afraid of anything. During the trip there, Zelena tells him about her plans with the time spell she's been working on, though Stanum believes there is another way for her to be happy. Before he can tell her, a lion lunges at him and drags him away. Zelena pursues the lion and frees Stanum, but when the lion pins her down, Stanum hurls his ax to distract it. This gives Zelena the chance to land a blow on the lion, who runs away. Upon getting the Crimson Heart, Zelena picks it up and finds the heart draining her magic because it needs her powers to function. After putting the heart down, she confronts Stanum about knowing all along and accuses him of working for Dorothy. Stanum denies knowing Dorothy but admits he knew the heart would drain her magic and that he believes she could be happy without her powers if she had a friend like him to accept her for herself. Zelena argues that her power is what makes her special and refuses to help him, standing by as Stanum turns completely into tin and she walks off with the heart box even as he calls after her. Getting back to her palace, Zelena has a moment of satisfaction as she sits down before doubt clouds her face. ("Where Bluebirds Fly")

One day, while Zelena is away from her chambers, Robin of Locksley, on Rumplestiltskin's orders, attempts to steal some of the elixir of the wounded heart. Disguised as one of Zelena's guards, Robin manages to fill two vials, but he drops one of the vials after she catches him trespassing. When she questions his actions, Robin salutes and greets her, unaware that her guards know better than to talk to her. Even more suspicious now, Zelena demands to know why he is stealing from her. With his cover blown, Robin grabs an enchanted bow from the room to fire at her. However, she duplicates two more illusions of herself to confuse him. As Zelena realizes he must have been sent by Rumplestiltskin, and he continues to not respond to her accusation, she dissipates the illusions and hurls a fireball at him. Robin dodges the attack, letting his arrow fire as he does, causing the shaft to fly around the room until it hits a steam engine. With the room completely fogged up, Zelena clears herself from the steam in time only to see the man is nowhere in sight and presumably escaped. ("Heart of Gold")

At some point after banishing Glinda, Zelena also manages to banish the Witch of the East and the Witch of the North to eliminate her competition as the most powerful witch in Oz. She later learns about another witch who lives in a Gingerbread House and kidnaps children to eat them. Zelena shows up to finish her while noting that even for a witch, her eating habits are disgusting. After she throws the witch to the ground, temporarily stunning her, one of the witch's captives, a girl named Gretel, begs her to free her and her brother Hansel. Gretel's repeated pleading irritates Zelena, who refuses to help, as Hansel expresses mistrust towards witches in general. When hit by the witch's surprise chandelier counterattack, Zelena is then magically tossed out of the house, leaving her so disoriented that she stumbles before collapsing in the woods. A man, Ivo, brings her to his cottage to recover, with Zelena panicking when she realizes her pendant is missing. Ivo, however, explains he repaired its clasp which was broken, and when he holds it out to her, Zelena notices he is blind and unable to see her. As she is still too unwell, Ivo insists she stay until she feels better and he begins preparing a meal for her. Zelena sees two beautiful chairs at the table which Ivo once carved himself, which, to her uneasiness, were for his two missing children who he has been searching day and night for. ("Chosen")

Some days later, a reenergized Zelena gets out of bed to start a fire in the furnace, hoping to cook for Ivo as thanks to him for taking care of her. Ivo smells the smoke before she can finish and then suggests they can do it together. As the fire is going, Zelena contently remarks on the dancing flames, but upon remembering Ivo cannot see, retracts her statement by apologizing. Ivo assures her it's fine, telling her he can picture the flames by feeling the heat, just as he can imagine what she looks like without having seen her face before. He describes her strikingly fierce physical features, in addition to her beautiful heart, which touches Zelena as no one has ever said those things about her. When asked, Ivo tells her about the accident that blinded him and how it was a blessing in disguise because it helped him become more attentive and loving towards his children. Guiltridden over knowing where they are, Zelena leaves the cottage, promising to return soon, before confronting the witch again. She steals the witch's sight and turns it into a powder to restore Ivo's sight, but when she rushes in to free the children, she finds them gone, making her believe the witch already ate them. Returning to Ivo, she discovers Hansel and Gretel escaped back to their father on their own and have since warned him about her wickedness. Ivo is livid over Zelena's dishonesty, and Zelena agrees she is wicked but begs him to believe in her as only he has seen her potential to be good. She offers him the powder as his second chance while also asking him to give her a second chance, however, Ivo declares he doesn't need his sight to see her for the monster she is. Angered by his rejection, Zelena tosses the powder into the furnace, where Hansel tries to intimidate her as payback for leaving him and his sister to die. She, in turn, manipulates coils of fire to curl around Hansel's wrists, making him burn in agony until Gretel douses the flames with a blanket, and before teleporting away, she spitefully tells the family that when they mess with a witch, they get burned. ("Chosen")

After Zelena spies on Rumplestiltskin urging Regina to break Snow White's singing spell to prove he chose the right witch as his disciple, she breaks out into song about the pain she's endured from both Cora and Rumplestiltskin himself rejecting her in favor of her sister, however, she sees this as her one chance to prove she is better than Regina. Zelena takes a ride on her broomstick and heads for the Munchkin Village, where her presence scares the munchkins, as she eventually jumps off to walk around the village square to continue her somewhat mournful serenade, singing about how Regina has had a better life than her and taken all of it for granted but that while her sister's evil may be powerful, her wickedness always wins over her. Zelena then pauses mid-song, realizing that instead of reveling in Regina's inability to break Snow's spell, she can aid her in undoing it with her magic and then reveal this to Rumplestiltskin in order to make him regret not choosing her. Returning to her palace, she brews a spell in a green box that will allow Regina to absorb Snow and Charming's singing abilities. Zelena places the box in Regina's vault, which Regina finds and successfully uses on the royal couple, however, with the end of the singing spell, the Blue Fairy wipes everyone's memory, including Zelena's, of having ever sung their songs. This memory wipe prevents Zelena from going through with her plan to unveil to Rumplestiltskin that it was her spell that helped to defeat Snow and Charming. ("The Song in Your Heart")

Before Second Curse

Zelena, now known as the Wicked Witch of the West, eventually leaves Oz and begins taking up residence in Regina's former palace, breaking the latter's magic lock on the crypt, which was created by blood magic. Conveniently, due to her blood ties to Regina, this allows her easy access to the palace. Zelena later also enacts her own protection spell to keep outsiders from getting in. Threatening to harm Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip's unborn child, she forces them to notify her when the old inhabitants of the Enchanted Forest, including Regina, return. When they do tell her, she sends her minion, a flying monkey, to extract some of Regina's blood. After doing so, Zelena mixes the blood with a potion intending to seek revenge on Regina. ("New York City Serenade", "Witch Hunt")

While still in the palace, Zelena notices Regina and a man break in through the underground tunnel with intentions of bringing down the barrier encasing the building. Zelena also learns that Regina is concocting her own brew of the Sleeping Curse and planning to use it on herself. Only after Regina, having broken the palace shield, prepares to use the curse, Zelena finally reveals herself to the other woman. She freely admits to having tried on Regina's clothes and seeing all the various rooms in the palace such as the crypt. While Regina believes Zelena forcibly opened the crypt, which is bound by blood magic, she insists that is not the case. When she admits their relation as half-sisters, with Cora as their shared mother, Regina doesn't believe her. Zelena attempts to prove her claims by detailing how she was sent away to Oz while scathingly recounting how Cora gave Regina everything. Though Regina considers her lucky to have escaped Cora's tyranny, Zelena is too hurt by her mother's abandonment and feels inferior to Regina since they were both students of Rumplestiltskin, but yet she wasn't the one chosen to enact the curse. Upon learning Cora and Rumplestiltskin are dead, she expresses brief disappointed by the news before announcing that her true intent is to get what she desires: having "her dreams being realized" while Regina will suffer a "fate worse than death". ("Witch Hunt")

Intending to have Rumplestiltskin brought back to life so she can control him with the Dark One's dagger, Zelena entraps a man named Lumiere in the form of a candelabrum, forcing him to manipulate Belle and Neal into reviving Rumplestiltskin by using a key to open the vault of the Dark One. Unknown to the pair, whoever resurrects the Dark One will lose their life. Shortly after Neal opens the vault with the key, he begins dying while Rumplestiltskin is resurrected. As opportunity would have it, Zelena reveals herself to Rumplestiltskin as he is holding his son as well as the accursed dagger. Since he is unable to cling onto both Neal and the dagger, she is able to grab the weapon from him. To keep his son alive, Rumplestiltskin quickly absorbs him into his body. Zelena then orders him to kill Belle, but before he can, Zelena is entrapped by Lumiere spouting flames to trap her. Belle flees unharmed, taking Lumiere with her, while Zelena furiously seethes over the lost opportunity. ("Quiet Minds")

Leading Rumplestiltskin back to this old castle, she imprisons him in the great hall inside a human-sized cage. After learning Aurora and Prince Phillip told Snow White that she desires their unborn child, Zelena makes a speedy entrance to the palace to turn the twosome into flying monkeys as punishment. Leaving no time to waste, she immobilizes Snow White and does the same to Prince Charming and Regina when they attempt to defend the pregnant princess. Casually, she approaches to touch Snow White's belly and promises the child will soon be hers. Later, Snow White learns from the banished Good Witch of the South, Glinda, that Zelena's weakness is light magic. Since Emma's powers fit this description, Snow, with the assistance of Regina, proceeds to cast a new Dark Curse to return everyone to Storybrooke. In the midst of it, Zelena interferes by dropping a potion into the curse mixture, which will erase their memories of the past year in the Enchanted Forest. Victorious, she flies off back to the castle to ingest another potion to retain her memories during the curse. Zelena then hands the same vial to Rumplestiltskin; daring him to keep his memories or be foolish enough to want to forget. ("A Curious Thing")

During Second Curse

While in Storybrooke, Zelena imprisons a resurrected Mr. Gold, courtesy of Neal, who previously used a key on the Vault of the Dark One to bring back his father. As a price of opening the vault, Neal was supposed to die, but just before he perished, Mr. Gold absorbed him into his own body. At a town hall meeting, she gets her first glimpse of the Savior, Emma, who is attempting to figure out who cast the new curse. One of the residents, Leroy, openly blames the mayor, Regina; an accusation that the other townspeople and Emma seemingly agree with. In a display of frustration, Regina causes a tremor and magically disappears out of the room. Zelena, sitting at the end of one aisle, watches the situation with interest. Under the disguise of a midwife, she becomes acquainted with Mary Margaret at the diner offers herself up as a midwife to help her throughout the final stages of her pregnancy. Hours later, Leroy announces to the town's citizens that Emma caught Regina making a memory potion, which will apparently allow whoever drinks it to recall who cursed them. To protect herself from exposure, Zelena teleports into the mayoral office during the night to steal the potion but disappears in green smoke when Emma and Regina burst in to apprehend her. Luckily, they do not catch a glimpse of her face, which is shrouded by the smoke. That same night, she magically opens a cellar door outside her house and carries a tray of food to a ragged and disheveled Mr. Gold, who grabs her arm to hiss that she should have never brought him back. She laughs, roughly kicking the tray into the cell, snidely telling him to "eat up" since they've got work to do and then strolls out of the cellar with ease. ("Witch Hunt", "Quiet Minds")

Paying Mr. Gold another visit in the cellar, she walks in on him furiously spinning straw into gold. Zelena unlocks the cell door, daring him to harm her, though she is well aware he cannot since she possesses the Dark One Dagger. She forces him to sit still so she gives him a facial shave, using the dagger as a razor, while she sourly recounts how her drunken father often made her shave him. She recalls him telling her to "put on her best face", which was impossible since the outside always shows what is rotting on the inside. On purpose, Zelena nicks Mr. Gold to get a droplet of his blood, though she pretends it was an accident. Later, she goes to the pawnshop, which is now run by Mr. Gold's lover Belle, to ask for a baby gift for Mary Margaret, but quickly freezes the girl, and uses Mr. Gold's blood on a locked compartment behind a wall painting to retrieve a plant called night root. On her first day as a midwife, Zelena is introduced to Mary Margaret's husband, David, and makes the couple chamomile tea at their apartment. Without them noticing, she spikes David's tea with night root, later causing the man to face his greatest fear which appears as a physical manifestation of himself. He manages to kill the doppelganger with his own sword hilt, unknowingly having done so with courage, one of the ingredients Zelena needs for her time spell. The sword disappears after the battle, with Zelena teleporting it into her handbag. While leaving the apartment, Zelena gushes enthusiastically about Mary Margaret's charming husband and reassures the expecting mother that with her around, she won't need to worry about the baby. ("The Tower")

Discovering Mr. Gold has broken out of the cellar, Zelena exerts the power of the dagger to summon Mr. Gold, which doesn't work due to Neal, while in his father's body, resisting the weapon's power. Angry at the failure, she sends a flying monkey to search for him. Mary Margaret phones her, panicked about not feeling the baby move recently, to which Zelena hurries over to the apartment with groceries. She calms her down, stating it's normal for babies to move infrequently as the labor date nears, and offers orange juice. Mary Margaret brushes off the baby's current state as due to her own worries, though Zelena knows the Wicked Witch, which everyone in town is talking about, must also be giving her stress. After Mary Margaret downs all of the orange juice, she is surprised to feel the baby kick. Delighted, the dutiful midwife happily remarks that Mary Margaret could have the child any day now. Disguising sinister words in a cheerful tone, Zelena even says that she simply won't allow Mary Margaret to have the child without her. Later, she excuses herself to the bathroom and escapes the apartment through an open window. As luck would have it, Zelena disappears in time just before Emma and David discover, from Mr. Gold, her identity as the Wicked Witch. They burst in to apprehend Zelena, but she is gone. In the woods, she meets up with a stoic Mr. Gold, who is watching over the corpse of his dead son, after their bodies were magically separated by Emma. He attempts to attack her, but she subdues him with the dagger. Despite that her real persona has been exposed, Zelena claims she'll have much use for Mr. Gold's brain. ("Quiet Minds")

During the wake at the diner after Neal's funeral service, Zelena arrives to threaten the residents into staying out of her way or face the Dark One. She announces herself as Regina's half-sister and forces her into a showdown on Main Street after sundown. Before the deadline, she catches Belle entering the cellar and attempting to guide him out of the prison. Once the girl flees, Zelena uses toe dagger to force Mr. Gold into giving a message to the rest of Belle's allies, David, Emma and Tinker Bell, outside the cellar, that anyone who attempts to hinder her quest to take down Regina will die. At nightfall, Zelena shows up, with Mr. Gold in tow, though Regina is absent. When challenged by Emma, who she sees as an unworthy opponent, Zelena has Mr. Gold magically fling her away. Regina arrives for the confrontation, having accepted they are sisters, but doesn't understand the grudge Zelena has against her. Zelena wickedly remarks that it's because Regina was born, and she receives a slap in retaliation. As they trade blows in magic, Zelena furiously declares that Regina had everything even though she didn't appreciate or deserve it. Eventually, she magically chokes Regina and sends her flying into the clock tower. Then, Zelena attempts to rip out her sister's heart but discovers it is hidden elsewhere. Before taking off on a broom, she savagely promises to take everything Regina has. Locking up Mr. Gold once more, Zelena informs him that what she is planning to cast isn't a curse, but something to give herself a second chance to change her own past. ("It's Not Easy Being Green")

Despite demonstrating her immense power during the prior night on Main Street, Zelena knows she can't kill Emma, who has powerful magic within her and could be a threat. She makes use of Hook, the sole person in Storybrooke that retained his memories from the past year, and is also aware he is in love with Emma. Devising a scheme to take down the savior, she disguises herself as Ariel, a mermaid who once sought Hook's aid in finding the man she loves, Prince Eric, only for him to selfishly choose to reclaim his ship over helping her. As Ariel, she tricks Hook into believing since the new curse, Eric hasn't returned and asks for his help locating him. They track down Eric's cloak at the pawnshop and pour a potion on it, which leads them straight to the harbor and then sinks into the water. "Ariel" pretends to be distraught; believing this is a sign Eric is dead. Overcome with guilt, Hook confesses having met Ariel during the missing year in the Enchanted Forest in which he chose to save his ship over Eric's life; hoping it would fill a void left in his heart from having to leave the woman he loved. To prove he still believes in love, "Ariel" makes him swear on the woman's name, but no sooner do the words "Emma Swan" come out of his mouth, Zelena places a curse on him. Revealing her true self, she explains that the real Ariel already found Eric on an island outside the boundaries of the curse and they are now together. Zelena also declares she has cursed him so he can kiss Emma, which will remove all of the savior's magic. Though Hook refuses, she promises to kill all of Emma's loved ones should he fail. ("The Jolly Roger")

While distracting Regina with a visit to her house, Zelena has Mr. Gold fetch her sister's heart from Robin Hood. Then, she dolls Mr. Gold up by making him wear an extravagant suit and later sit down for a meal with her. Over dinner, she fills him in on her motives for collecting various ingredients, like David's sword and Regina's heart, in order to cast a time spell to change her own past. At first, Mr. Gold has doubts Zelena can actually do it, but she sweetens the deal by offering to take him along with her so he can be reunited with his son again. Impressed, her former teacher admits he was wrong to have not chosen her in the past and makes up for his errors by engaging Zelena in a heavy make-out session. Zelena falls under his alluring spell, but not for long, especially when she realizes he is only toying with her long enough to grab the dagger. Seizing control of the weapon before he can reach it, she angrily berates Mr. Gold for his lost chance of ever seeing his son again and orders him back to his cell. ("Bleeding Through")

On the town roadside, Zelena awaits Mr. Gold, who drives up and unveils a kidnapped Hook inside the trunk. She warns Hook for the last time to get a move on her plan to eliminate Emma's magic, or Henry will pay the price. He fails to follow her orders and even attempts to take the boy out of Storybrooke in secret. Zelena sends several flying monkeys after them, but all are destroyed. While Henry, his memory loss cured by touching the fairytale storybook, is basking in a reunion with Regina, Zelena grabs and proceeds to choke him. Regina's attempt to defend her son is overturned when she is knocked unconscious as Zelena continues to aggressively suffocate Henry. However, she is caught off guard when Emma uses magic to scald her. This moment of distraction causes her to let go of Henry and retreat from the fight. After the battle, Regina breaks the new curse by giving Henry a kiss of true love. ("A Curious Thing")

After Second Curse

Proceeding with her plan to enact a time spell, Zelena takes the gold strands Mr. Gold spun and transforms it into his brain; another needed ingredient. She then has him dig a symbol into the ground of the barn. The last spell component — the baby — is missing since Mary Margaret is in labor, but also because Emma created a magic barrier around the delivery room to keep Zelena out. She catches Emma and Hook approaching the barn and quickly turns the situation in her own favor by drowning the pirate until he is unconscious; therefore forcing the savior to resuscitate him and be stripped of her magic. In doing so, Emma's protective spell fades. On her way to claim the last ingredient for the spell, Zelena subdues the Merry Men, Belle and Regina before stealing Mary Margaret's newborn son. Returning to the barn, she begins the spell only for David, Emma, Hook, Regina and Robin Hood to intervene. While everyone else is no match for Zelena, Regina overpowers her with light magic. Regina snatches Zelena's pendant, rendering her powerless without magic, and takes away the dagger as well. Simmering with rage, Mr. Gold attempts to kill Zelena for enslaving him, but Regina spares her sister's life. Imprisoned in a jail cell, Zelena grudgingly accepts her current dilemma, but fails to understand why she is still alive. Regina sympathizes with her since they both suffered as Cora's daughters and having lives they didn't want. She also knows what it's like to be fueled by vengeance and gives Zelena a second chance to reshape a better future for herself. Later on, Mr. Gold, wielding the dagger, seeks payback for his son's death by stabbing Zelena to death although she was smiling. Her body transforms into a statue, which he then shatters into pieces. Unseen to his eyes, the remains of her body turn into powder and vanish. Tucked away in the vault, Zelena's pendant airs out a greenish smoke, joining with her life force, before traveling to the barn, where it engulfs the time spell symbol on the ground. ("Kansas")

Upon discovering the pair are going to bring Marian to present-day Storybrooke, she kills the woman and assumes her form with the help of a six-leaf clover of Oz. Thus, Emma and Hook end up unknowingly bringing her home with them. ("There's No Place Like Home", "Heart of Gold")

At some point after turning into Marian, Zelena uses magic to learn everything she can about her.[2]

As Marian, Zelena reunites with Robin Hood, which puts a wedge in his budding romance with Regina. Deciding to honor his marriage vows, Robin Hood breaks up with Regina, who schemes to travel back in time and kill Marian. Instead, when the town is under attack by an ice monster, she saves Marian's life. While getting accustomed to town, Marian goes to an ice cream parlor with Robin Hood and Roland. There, Ingrid gifts her a free ice cream cone, which she secretly infuses with a freezing spell. After consuming the frozen treat, Marian attends a town hall meeting, where she collapses and begins freezing to death. Since true love's kiss doesn't work, Regina takes out Marian's heart to keep her from dying. Once Ingrid is defeated, Marian unfreezes, and with the return of her heart, she regains consciousness. Later, she arrives at the diner and thanks Regina for saving her life. Knowing that Regina and Robin Hood have feelings for each other, Marian states her intent to step away as she does not wish her husband to be with her out of obligation. While playing with Roland at a park riverside, she passes out from remnants of Ingrid's magic re-affecting her body. As there is no magic outside the town line, Regina recognizes Marian can only survive by leaving Storybrooke. Due to leftover fragments of Ingrid's curse, however, those who go out of town can never return. Knowing Marian will be in an unknown land outside of Storybrooke, Regina pushes Robin Hood to take Roland and depart with his wife, which he does. ("There's No Place Like Home", "A Tale of Two Sisters", "Rocky Road", "Heroes and Villains")

After leaving Storybrooke for New York City, Zelena continues to pretend to be Marian until she and Robin cross paths with Mr. Gold, who has a heart attack stemming from the poison of all his dark deeds. Robin retrieves a magic elixir to heal him, but Zelena switches it out, before revealing her true form to Mr. Gold. As Zelena gleefully explains how she survived her own death, Mr. Gold suffers another heart attack that stops his heart, but the doctors manage to revive him. Later, she promises to give him the elixir if he stops trying to kill her and makes the Author write her a happy ending, which he agrees to. Unknown to Mr. Gold, Zelena also places an enchantment on his heart to cause him pain if he ever attempts to harm her with his own magic. As Marian, Zelena confronts her husband about finding Regina's phone number on his mobile. She gives him an ultimatum to make a choice between her or Regina, and Robin eventually chooses her, citing that they were once happy together and he wants to regain that happiness again. Upon Mr. Gold's return to Storybrooke, he has Regina call Robin's phone, in which she discovers Zelena is alive and has been masquerading as Marian this whole time. With this shocking truth, Mr. Gold hopes to blackmail Regina into helping them with the Author. As parting words, Zelena vows she and her sister will see each other again. ("Heart of Gold", "I'll Be Your Mirror")

Continuing to pose as Marian, Zelena comes home to find Regina revealing the truth about her to Robin Hood. When Regina threatens her, she feigns ignorance and looks to her husband for protection. After Robin Hood manages to make Regina stop, Zelena grins wickedly before pulling out the six-leaf clover and reverting to her true self. With the truth out in the open, Regina urges Robin Hood to get Roland and leave with her, but he declines. Zelena smugly states that he'll want to stay, to which Regina presses him for an answer. After a moment, Robin Hood admits Zelena is pregnant. ("Lily")

Taken back to Storybrooke, Zelena is imprisoned by Regina in a cell in the hospital's psychiatric ward, where she taunts her sister about being unable to kill her without making her child motherless. After obtaining magic ink from Lily, Regina brings the Author, Isaac, to the cell so he can rewrite Zelena out of existence. Learning what will happen to her, Zelena compares Regina to the same level of cruelty that Cora once showed her. As Regina takes in her words, Robin Hood walks in. Backtracking against her plan to hurt Zelena, Regina considers how they are each their own worst enemy, before deciding she will move forward with Robin even if her sister remains in the picture. ("Mother")

After Isaac rewrites everyone's stories in the Heroes and Villains book, Zelena becomes Robin Hood's bride-to-be, as they plan to marry soon. One day, she enters a tavern to find him talking to a famed thief, Regina, who she gushes over upon meeting. Zelena invites Regina to their wedding ceremony, but Regina declines, deciding to make haste since the Queen is looking for her. Following Henry's plan to reverse Isaac's stories, Regina rushes to stop Robin Hood's wedding. Sidetracked by Rumplestiltskin, Emma duels him while Regina hurries on. Inside the church, Zelena stands at the altar with Robin Hood as the officiant asks her husband-to-be if he will take her in marriage. He hesitates, briefly locking eyes with Regina, who abandons her plans of intervening in order to save Henry from being killed by Rumplestiltskin. After the ceremony concludes, Zelena walks out with her husband. He, upon seeing an injured Regina, rushes to her side. A puzzled Zelena follows, questioning him about what's going on, before noting that Regina is getting blood on her dress. Robin presses her to consider that someone is dying, but she angrily asserts that today was suppose to be her day. As Zelena's jealousy grows, the skin on her hand turns green, causing her to run off in distress. Once Henry harnesses the quill and becomes the next Author, Isaac's stories are undone and everyone returns to their old lives in Storybrooke. ("Operation Mongoose Part 1", "Operation Mongoose Part 2")

Before Third Curse

As Zelena is meditating in her cell, she is visited by Regina and Hook. They explain Emma has become the Dark One and they need to take out her darkness, but to reach her in the other world, the Apprentice's wand must be used by someone with enough light and dark essence. Robin encourages her to help, suggesting if she does, theirbaby can live without darkness, but she snaps that the baby is hers and calls him an unwilling pawn she used to create the child. This leads to squabbling between her and Regina, prompting Hook to ask if Zelena is going to help them or not, which she finally agrees to. After examining the wand, Zelena declares they need something important of Emma's to guide the portal to its destination. Since Regina is unwilling to ever let Zelena off her leash, Hook later returns to break Zelena out so she can harness the wand. To ensure she behaves, Hook uses a potion on his hook to rip out her heart, but he is soon thrown back by a shield, as Zelena casually admits she cast a protection spell on her heart eons ago. Grabbing Hook's blade, she hacks off her left hand, removing the magic bracelet, and reattaches the hand. Finally able to use her magic freely, Zelena teleports out. Disguised as Regina, she rushes into the apartment to inform Robin about Zelena's escape, but when Robin kisses her, he realizes who she is, prompting Zelena to morph back. Zelena takes him as leverage and bargains with Regina for the wand, which she wants to use to go back to Oz and have the life she wants with her unborn child. Regina forfeits the wand, to which gleeful Zelena creates a cyclone, but her magic use drains her strength, giving Regina the chance to reclasp the bracelet on her. Taken to the diner, Zelena is bound to a chair by Robin and David, while Regina uses Emma's blanket to redirect the approaching cyclone into taking them to the Enchanted Forest. ("The Dark Swan")

After the diner is taken to the Enchanted Forest, some of the people present go in search of Emma, and after she is found, the group is met by King Arthur and his men, who lead them to Camelot. Zelena, along with everyone else, later enter King Arthur's castle. ("The Dark Swan")

At the castle, King Arthur introduces the group to his Queen, Guinevere, and he announces there will be a ball held in their honor. Zelena pressures Regina to remove her bracelet or she’ll tell Arthur that Emma is the Dark One, but Regina swiftly shuts her sister up with a magical wave of her hand, rendering her mute, much to Robin’s amusement. ("The Price")

Forced to play the part of Regina's mute handmaiden, Zelena sits in Merlin's tower while her sister is researching magical remedies for freeing the sorcerer. Before Robin leaves the room to get tea for Regina, he gives her a quick kiss, as Zelena watches with disdain. After Robin is gone, Regina then restores Zelena's voice, confronting her about her prior escape attempt to Oz. She tries to reason with Zelena, stating she cannot take the baby away from Robin, but Zelena is unapologetic, wondering if Regina is going to take the baby from her, though the child is her only chance at happiness. Zelena asks why she can't have a second chance since Regina got one, to which the latter angrily recalls that she already used up two second chances, and then tells her to stop painting herself as the victim. An incited Zelena argues that while Regina may see life as fair, she herself still sees only one sister getting all the toys in the box. Regina abruptly mutes her again, cautioning Zelena to remember that she is still the Evil Queen, and that she can be far worse towards her if she wishes. Instead of that, though, Regina promises she'll ensure the baby is loved and safe, while also making sure the same won't happen for Zelena. ("Siege Perilous")

After the heroes free Merlin, Zelena regroups with them at the diner, where she lies down on the diner counter, while overhearing them discuss breaking into Arthur's castle. Upon hearing David suggest taking the guards by surprise at the front gate, Zelena slaps her forehead, knowing it's a bad idea. Hook goes on to say they can diverge at the wall bridge and then climb up the castle. Regina suggests she use magic to poof herself into Arthur's bedroom, to which Zelena gives an audible sneer and motions for her voice to be restored. When she is able to speak again, Zelena convinces them that their plans are garbage and the best way is to sneak in without attracting attention. She admits, during the time she was Regina's handmaiden, she was plotting an escape and did find a way out. Zelena shows them an abandoned tunnel which gives access to the castle courtyard, but it's protected by a huge metal grate and magic, hence, why she couldn't go through it. As a reward for helping them, she wants the cuff removed, but Regina decides to save that for after they return. Mary Margaret stays behind to guard Zelena, whose wrists are bound behind her back. While secretly undoing binds, Zelena weeps over no one believing she is truly trying to help, and how Regina is always winning instead of her. In the next instant, she coughs and lurches in faux pain, causing a concerned Mary Margaret to check up on her. Suddenly, Zelena gives her a hard kick with her legs, as she pulls the loose rope from her freed hands to tie up an unconscious Mary Margaret. Arthur removes Zelena's cuff, and Zelena surprises the heroes with a captive Mary Margaret, before helping Arthur enact a spell to tether Merlin to Excalibur. Once Arthur summons Merlin, he orders the sorcerer to disarm the group and send them away, and Merlin obeys, leaving only Zelena behind with Arthur. ("Nimue")

In the forest, Zelena and Arthur wait for Emma to show and turn over the flame ember and the dagger to them, or else they'll make Merlin kill her family. Emma asks them to release her family before she gives them what they want, but she forfeits the flame ember after Zelena threatens to kill either Hook or David first. When Zelena opens the box containing the ember, however, black coils of Emma's dark magic wrap her to a tree. Arthur frees Zelena after Hook disarms him, to which Zelena poofs herself and Arthur back to the castle. As they need the help of the whole Camelot kingdom to beat the heroes, the pair go to DunBroch in search of a magical helm that can influence people into fighting for their cause. From the old witch, they learn she gave the helm to King Fergus in a deal, leading them to steal a bow that Fergus gifted his daughter Merida, as a way to locate the missing helm. After the helm is found in a river bank, Merida prevents Arthur from taking it by dueling him, while Zelena takes on Mulan, before she is promptly knocked out by Ruby's sleeping powder. When Merida's clansmen corner them, a groggy Zelena uses her magic so that she and Arthur can retreat from battle once more. ("Birth", "The Bear King")

After Hook becomes a Dark One, he enacts another curse, hoping to return to Storybrooke and get his revenge on Mr. Gold. To stop him and find a way to return him to who he used to be, Emma traps Hook's memories from the last six weeks in a dreamcatcher, and she does the same with everyone else, to ensure no one remembers Hook becoming a Dark One. After putting the cuff back on Zelena's wrist, she adds the dreamcatcher into the curse brew, creating a full memory wipe. Soon, the curse spreads and sends them all back to Storybrooke. ("Broken Heart")

After Third Curse

Upon arrival back in Storybrooke, everyone in the diner crashes to the floor from the impact of the building dropping on the ground, and as they get up, the group realize they are still in Camelot attire, and the last thing anyone recalls is entering King Arthur's castle. Emma, in order to keep Hook's secret under wraps, enters and professes that she will punish them for what they did to her. ("The Dark Swan", "The Price", "Broken Heart")

Sometime after returning to Storybrooke, Zelena gets a sonogram of the growing baby, which Regina gives to Robin to view on a phone. ("Siege Perilous")

While Zelena is reading "What to Expect When You're Expecting" in her cell, she happily feels a kick from the baby, just as Nurse Ratched enters to bring her lunch. Zelena hopes to satisfy her craving for onion rings, but her appetite promptly diminishes after the nurse uncovers the plate, revealing green vegetables. The nurse explains she is following Regina's orders of feeding her only local, organically grown food, to which Zelena refuses the plate and shoos her off. After the nurse is gone, Emma appears in Zelena's cell, teleporting her to her house. There, Emma offers Zelena onion rings, which the redhead eagerly consumes, not knowing that Emma has put magic in the food to later accelerate her pregnancy to full-term. Zelena knows the treat is not without a catch, to which Emma offers Zelena freedom and protection from Regina and the others, in exchange for helping her use the Apprentice'swand. The redhead recalls, with much fanfare, about the ward janitor telling her that Emma ripped out Violet Morgan's heart before forcing her to reject Henry. Although she herself has committed bad acts, Zelena also knows what it's like to be betrayed by a mother and being angry about it for years. She tells Emma to prepare for a lifetime of resentment from Henry, while Emma believes Henry just needs time before he forgives her. However, Zelena cautions that some things can't be forgiven, and when she prods her about Neal's death, Emma coldly asks whether they have a deal or not. Zelena turns down Emma's offer, not wanting a bad influence on her child, and cites that she has her own problems to deal with. Emma believes Zelena will change her mind in the future, but the latter considers that she doesn't mind being alone, while the same cannot be said for Emma. Wordlessly, Emma transports Zelena back to her cell. ("The Bear and the Bow", "Birth")

In the midst of reading a story to her baby, Zelena feels a hard kick in the stomach that she chalks up to child's growing strength. However, she feels another kick that turns into intense pain as her pregnancy rapidly accelerates because of Emma's dark magic, after she ate the onion rings Emma gave her. She shouts for help, causing Nurse Ratched to call in Regina and Robin, who find Zelena's pregnancy has reached full term in a matter of minutes, and she is going into labor. Zelena, seated in a wheelchair, howls in agony as the nurse wheels her into a hospital room on the upper level, where she is put on the bed for the birth. During this, Belle rushes in, telling them that Emma is after the baby's first cry for a spell to banish the light magic inside herself. Dr. Whale instructs her on when to push during the labor, and Zelena eventually gives birth to a healthy baby girl. As Robin and Regina meet the newborn, Zelena cannot help but comment on her sister's envy towards her for having Robin's baby. Regina looks down in dismay, but before she can respond, Emma shows up, not for the baby, but to take Zelena, who she intends to put her and Hook's darkness into, and then kill her to ensure the Dark One lineage is extinguished forever. Chained in Emma's basement, Zelena convinces Hook to use the enchantment on his hook to rip off her cuff, so she can regain her powers. With her restored magic, she magically switches out of her frumpy hospital gown for a stylish new outfit, and then frees Hook. Upstairs, Zelena sneaks out the back door, while Hook stays behind to get answers from Emma. Instead of leaving, Zelena finds one of Emma's dreamcatchers outside, and from looking into the memories stored inside, she discovers Emma made Hook a Dark One when he was on the brink of death. After Hook paralyzes Emma with squid ink, the redhead witch returns, stabbing Hook in the chest to prove he is immortal, and then shows him his lost memories in the dreamcatcher. ("Birth")

As retaliation for taking his memories, Hook steals Emma's memories so she forgets what his ultimate goal is. While Emma is weakened from the memory wipe, Zelena places the enchanted cuff on her wrist to ensure she can't use magic. Zelena then questions Hook about whether helping him guarantees he will not start trouble with her, to which he agrees he will leave her be, as long as she stays out of his way as well. Heading into the hospital, Zelena puts Nurse Ratched to sleep when she gets in her way, before proceeding to look for her baby. Zelena finds Regina waiting for her in the hallway, and when she looks into the incubator room, she discovers her daughter missing. While Zelena cries foul over Regina taking her baby because, for once, she has something her sister doesn't have, Regina expresses disgust over how Zelena got the child in the first place. Hoping to put a stop to the insanity between them, Regina takes Zelena to the loft, where Robin is tending to his daughter. Regina, whose maternal love for Henry changed her into a better person, has some hope that the same could happen for Zelena with her child. Robin, too, consents to allowing Zelena to visit and be part of their daughter's life as her mother, as long as either he or Regina are present. Zelena is then given a chance to hold her baby, whom she affectionately calls her "little green bean". ("Broken Heart")

With the rise of the previous Dark Ones from the Underworld, Zelena quickly catches on that they intend to brand some of Storybrooke residents so they can gain physical bodies in exchange for the souls they sacrifice. Poofing into an alleyway, she announces to Regina and Robin of her intentions to grant herself sole custody of her daughter. When Robin reacts defensively by aiming an arrow at her, Zelena laughs at his gesture, stating that there's no point in fighting when he and Regina will be dead soon. Moments later, two Dark Ones saunter up to Regina and Robin from behind, branding their souls for the Underworld. Zelena disappears to the mayoral office, taking a seat in the chair, and begins picking out a shade of green to repaint the walls. In agreement with Robin that Zelena needs to go, Regina harnesses the Apprentice's wand, taking Zelena to the clock tower, where she summons a cyclone to take her sister back to Oz. Despite clinging onto the edge of the broken clock face, Zelena is pulled away by the cyclone's powerful winds and into the portal. ("Swan Song")

Upon her return to Oz, Zelena is approached by a dog, Toto, because he can tell she is a witch. When Ruby, Mulan and Dorothy show up, she quickly informs them that she wants no part in staying in Oz, and wishes to get back to her daughter as soon as possible. Zelena demands the silver slippers from Dorothy, and after the girl refuses, she unveils Toto in a basket, using the dog as leverage to force Dorothy's hand. Before poofing away, she gives Dorothy until sundown tomorrow to hand over the slippers, or Toto will pay the price. Once Dorothy and Ruby acquire the poppy flower, Mulan finishes a powder to put Zelena to sleep. That night, Dorothy takes the powder and decides to confront Zelena alone at the palace, but Zelena surprises Dorothy by pricking her finger with the sleeping curse. After pilfering the slippers from Dorothy, Zelena uses them to return to Storybrooke. ("Ruby Slippers")

After coming back to Storybrooke, Zelena disguises herself as Mother Superior and walks into the nunnery's nursery room, where her daughter and baby Neal now live. Belle, who is visiting the babies, notices something off about Mother Superior, though Zelena tries to play it off, until the real Mother Superior arrives. With her cover blown, Zelena reverts to her actual self and tries to take her daughter away. As she argues with Belle about this, Mother Superior prepares to use her wand on Zelena. Suddenly, an earthquake causes a portal, which Belle falls into after grabbing Baby Hood, with Zelena jumping in to follow. Landing in the Underworld, Zelena realizes Hades is responsible for the portal, and he wants her baby for the time spell she once denied him of. Belle takes off with Baby Hood, while Zelena is unable to stop her because she has a strained ankle. She instead reunites with Regina and Robin, who set out to look for Belle. As they comb the woods, Zelena asks Robin about what he named their daughter, expressing disdain at certain names, especially Marian. When Robin retorts he hasn't had enough time with their child since he's been protecting her from Zelena, she berates him for being in the Underworld instead of with their daughter. Robin insists helping a friend and settling an example of heroism is important. To end the dispute, Regina recalls how she used to be like Zelena, only caring about herself, and that made her alone and miserable, but this changed when her enemies became her family, which is why they are in the Underworld to save Hook. After finding the baby, Zelena offers to feed her with formula. Robin relents, only because Zelena's magic isn't working, but when Zelena's magic returns, she douses him, Regina and Belle with a blast before escaping with her child. However, after realizing her own magic injured her daughter, she forfeits her to Robin, knowing she can't protect their child from Hades. When she confronts Hades, he reveals he still loves her and had created the Underworld in Storybrooke's image for her since he knows she wanted to cast the Dark Curse. Furthermore, he only wanted to get the child away from the heroes for her sake, and not for a time spell. Despite wanting to trust him, Zelena refuses his help, deciding to regain her daughter on her own. ("Our Decay")

Zelena takes a break at the diner, where she allows Regina to join her. She asks after her daughter, whom Regina confirms is fine since Robin is hiding her in the woods. Zelena doesn't believe this will stop Hades since he usually goes after what he wants. With persuasion from Regina, Zelena reveals Hades is in love with her, and she scoffs at the idea that anyone could love her. When Regina asks if she reciprocates his feelings, she doesn't answer. While Regina sympathizes with her sister's dilemma, she addresses the equally pressing matter of Hades' weakness, which she needs to know to defeat him. Zelena is upset that Regina came to her for more than just sisterly concern, though Regina affirms both are equally important to her. Zelena has nothing else to offer, and to her own knowledge, she is Hades' only weakness. Later, she receives a covered platter that contains a card with her name on it as well as withered red flower. Despite that the sender didn't leave his name, Zelena smiles at the gift appreciatively, knowing the flower is from Hades. ("Her Handsome Hero")

At her Underbrooke home, Zelena is visited by Hades, who warns her about Ruby's recent appearance in the Underworld. Knowing Ruby is likely looking for Dorothy, she grows fearful that if Regina learns what she did to Dorothy, she'll be barred from ever seeing her daughter again. Zelena wants to leave the Underworld before this happens, and she worries if she stays, she will do something she'll eventually regret. Hades tries to draw her to his side, promising to give her whatever she wants, but she sticks to her decision. He then drops the subject, and before taking his leave, he vows that, either way, he'll take care of Ruby for her. When Zelena begins using the slippers, her escape is halted by Ruby, Regina, Emma and Snow confronting her about Dorothy's disappearance. Regina talks her into redeeming herself by helping them, to which Zelena unveils in a mirror that Dorothy is currently under the sleeping curse in Oz. Only true love's kiss can break the curse, and Zelena believes it impossible, since Dorothy may have the love of the Ozians, but not true love. In a private chat with Regina, Zelena continues to be smug about what she did to Dorothy, until her sister tells her to drop the act. Regina persuades Zelena to break away from the path she is on now, starting by doing one good thing; giving up the slippers. Zelena forfeits the slippers, despite that she sees no value in Regina's pep talks, as she believes nothing will ever change for either of them. As Zelena consoles herself with drinks, Belle pleads for her to convince Hades to tear up contract on her baby, but Zelena doubts Hades will listen. While Zelena is disillusioned about her own future, believing her happy ending is not with her daughter or Hades, Belle points out she hasn't given Hades a chance yet. Belle comes to fear Hades will speed up her pregnancy, but Zelena offers her temporary solution, the curse. Later, Zelena takes Belle's advice and goes to Hades. He shows her what he's done to Dorothy's Auntie Em, who could've woken her from the curse, as proof of his loyalty to her. Zelena still fears being disappointed by Hades, but decides to accept him, stating it's a chance she has to take. ("Ruby Slippers")

During the night, Hades takes Zelena for a drive to the outskirts of town, where they drink by an open campfire. He shows her a scenic view of Underbrooke in the distance, which she happily recalls as his gift to her. However, Hades believes she deserves much more than just a decayed replica of what Regina has, and he asks her to go to the real Storybrooke with him after his heart is beating again. When Zelena asks about his plans for the Underworld, Hades confirms he will gladly give it up, if she will be with him. She doubts Regina and her friends would like the both of them being in Storybrooke, but he explains having created headstones for the heroes, to trap them in the Underworld forever. Hades believes there's no other way, and that Zelena has to choose between the both of them or Regina. Dropping to his knees, he asks if she will make chaos with him. She, still indecisive, doesn't say yes or no to his proposal. Zelena returns to home to find Regina waiting for her, and she quickly senses that her sister knows who she's been with. Regina forbids her from seeing Hades again, but Zelena believes she can change him into a better person, like Regina did with Robin. Regina questions what will happen if she fails, to which Zelena rebuffs her concern, accusing her of never wanting a sister anyway. In a plan with Regina to erase Hades from Zelena's mind, Cora shows up at Zelena's home to reconcile with her, while Regina sneaks in from the back. Cora believes Zelena has real feelings for Hades, but in truth, she's trying to fill the hole of being abandoned at birth. Zelena receives the answers to what she's always wondered, in which Cora admits she regrets abandoning her and apologizes to her. Afterwards, Cora gets a glass of water for her, that Regina put the potion in. Zelena figures out what Cora and Regina are up to, and when she picks a fight with Regina, Cora restores the sisters' lost memories of each other. Cora encourages Zelena to believe in herself, and that it's never too late to change. After both sisters help Cora move on, Regina gives her blessing to Zelena about Hades. Zelena arrives for a date with Hades, but before she can go in, Mr. Gold confronts her for giving the sleeping curse to Belle. Though he once promised to stop trying to kill her, he goes back on it, because he wants revenge on her for causing Belle's cursed state. Mr. Gold cuffs Zelena to disable her magic, and Pan arrives to throw a bag over Zelena's head to obscure her vision. ("Sisters")

After Zelena is kidnapped by Mr. Gold and Pan, Hades finds a note outside the diner, in which Mr. Gold asks for the baby contract to be voided in order to secure Zelena's freedom. Hades meets with the villains at the diner, where Mr. Gold and Pan teleport in with Zelena. As Mr. Gold requested, Hades rips up the contract in front of him, but before Pan allows Zelena to go, he prepares to steal her heart to revive himself. Zelena warns Pan that her heart has a protection spell, which he disregards out of disbelief that her magic is as strong as his. He moves to pull her heart out, but then, Emma arrives in from the backdoor, blasting Pan away with a spray of magic. With persuasion from Emma, Mr. Gold abandons his father, leaving Pan to retreat as well. In the aftermath, Zelena shares a kiss with Hades, unknowingly triggering true love's kiss, which restarts Hades' heart and removes his banishment. Before the portal trip home, Hades removes the heroes' names from the graves, which Zelena sees as proof that he's changed. While Emma and Hook are on a mission to obtain ambrosia, Regina convinces Robin to give his daughter to Zelena, who goes with Hades to wait by the portal. Unknown to Zelena, Hades sent Emma and Hook on a dead-end quest for ambrosia, and he put a barrier on the library to keep everyone else trapped. Zelena grows concerned when the heroes fall to arrive to the portal, but Hades persuades her that they will make it in time on their own. With that, she takes her daughter with her as she follows Hades into the portal back to Storybrooke. ("Firebird")

Arriving to Storybrooke's Toll Bridge, Hades relishes over being in the land of the living, while Zelena worries for the heroes. He assures her again that they'll be fine, but he has doubts they won't believe he's changed. Zelena vows to help change their minds, and she then gives her daughter to Hades as a sign of her complete trust in him. Since Hades is concerned over Snow still thinking he's evil, Zelena leaves to convince her otherwise. On her way to find Snow, Zelena finds Regina and Robin, who warn her of Hades' bad intentions. Zelena doesn't believe them, and after she tells Hades about what her sister said, he suggests they have to defend themselves because the townspeople don't want them here. He shows her the Olympian Crystal, stating it is very powerful and very dangerous. As he tries to get Zelena on board with him using the crystal, Robin and Regina arrive to the office, overhearing the conversation from outside. When he talks about using the crystal so they can rule Storybrooke, Zelena instead talks about simply living in town, with a house for them and a garden for her daughter to play in. Upon seeing Emma trying to break her protection spell, she teleports outside to deal with her. Emma doesn't want to harm her, but Zelena accuses her of wanting to hurt Hades, which she sees as the same as hurting her. After knocking Emma away, she grabs Hades' story from her, discovering that she does indeed want to kill him. Zelena returns to the office, finding Regina over Robin's dead body, while Hades claims he did it to save Zelena from Robin himself. She confronts her lover about him trapping the heroes in the Underworld, and he admits to doing it so they wouldn't have to hurt anyone. Since they are at odds with the heroes now, Hades insists the only way the two of them can be safe is to create a new kingdom using the crystal. Zelena wants no part in it, but Hades reminds her again of their past bond over wanting vengeance on those who didn't believe in them. Regina knocks the crystal out of Hades' hands, and when Zelena takes hold of it, Hades encourages her to kill her sister. Instead of her sister, Zelena stabs her lover with the crystal, after Regina helps her see that Hades' love for her is not enough to change him. After Hades is dead, the two sisters, brought together by their losses, hug each other while crying. At Robin's funeral, Zelena shows up with her daughter to pay her respects. Regina sadly notes that Robin never got to name his child, to which Zelena decides the most fitting name for her is Robin. ("Last Rites")

At Robin's wake, when Snow offers comfort to a shell-shocked Regina, Zelena assures her that she will be there for her sister, as they have both lost their loves recently. After a tremor erupts in town, Hook bursts into the diner, with his presence shocking everyone except Emma, who was waiting for the right time to tell Regina. Zelena and the heroes investigate the clock tower, where they learn the tremor resulted from Mr. Gold tethering Storybrooke's magic into a piece of the Olympian Crystal. While Emma and Regina pursue Henry, who has disappeared with the crystal, Zelena uses the Apprentice's wand to create a portal so Merida, the Merry Men, and the Camelot natives can return home. Little John is concerned that Roland won't be able to say goodbye to Regina, but Zelena persuades him that her sister will understand, and that Robin would've wanted his son to grow up in Sherwood Forest. She promises to visit Roland soon, and to bring along his baby sister. Before departing, Roland bestows a feather from one of his father's arrows to Zelena and asks her to give it to Regina. Afterwards, Zelena tries to close the portal, but her control on the wand goes awry because the town's magic is linked to the crystal. She, Snow, David, and Hook are then pulled into another realm, where the wand becomes broken. They seek magic from a groundsman, Jekyll, to fix it, but he is too terrified to help them. An orderly, Poole, shows up and magically tasers them into unconsciousness, before locking them up in a caged cell. There, a warden named Hyde accuses them of working for the Dark One, and though Snow convinces him otherwise, he still refuses to let them go. While Hyde is away, Jekyll agrees to fix the wand for them if they take him with them when they return home. ("Only You")

As the heroes wait for Jekyll, Zelena mocks Killian for attempting to pick the lock with his hook hand. He, in turn, blames her for getting them in this mess since she couldn't control the wand properly. When she threatens to send him back to the Underworld, David intervenes to stop both of them from fighting. Jekyll frees them, however, he lost the wand to Hyde. When they reach the outside city, Jekyll provides the heroes with a backstory of this land, which is home to people of all backgrounds that have fled from various dangers. They stop by Hyde's house, where Jekyll finishes making a red serum to defeat the warden for good, but Poole makes him to ingest a blue serum that forces Hyde to manifest from within the body. When Zelena's magic apparently has no effect on Hyde, the heroes flee the house to get away. After Hyde takes the red serum to separate himself and Jekyll, the group return in time to save Jekyll. Poole tries to stop their leaving, but Zelena takes care of him with a bolt of her magic. As the heroes and Jekyll attempt to get out of the city, they run into Hyde. With magical help from the Land Without Magic, a portal opens, allowing them to return home. On return to Storybrooke, Zelena joins David as he shows Jekyll to the town diner. ("An Untold Story")

Sometime later, Regina allows Zelena and baby Robin to move into her house. Zelena is busy unpacking when she learns from her sister that Hyde has claimed Storybrooke for himself after Mr. Gold gave it to him in a deal. She the sets down her daughter in a crib, preparing to join Regina in the fight against Hyde, but Regina tells her to stay home instead. Zelena is unhappy with this, quipping about her sister putting her in yet another prison, before dropping the comment as a joke. Suddenly, she recalls the arrow that Roland gave her to give to Regina and begins searching through the mess of her belongings for it. Zelena can't find it, and while Regina tries to be understanding, she begins to resent her for losing the arrow. After subduing Hyde, Zelena approaches Regina inside the mayor's office to congratulate her for her good work. Regina, while crying over Robin, admits this is the first time she's been in the office since his passing. Zelena wants to help her grieve, but Regina refuses, eventually revealing that she blames her for Robin's death, especially since she trusted Zelena's judgement of Hades' supposedly changed ways. Angered at this, Zelena calls Regina out for making quite possibly the most important decision of her life—ripping out her darker side, and that instead of talking it over with her, Regina went to Snow for advice. Zelena is also upset that Regina removed a part of herself that is most like her, to which Regina has nothing to say in defense of her decision. Zelena then coldly announces that she and her child are moving out, and then teleports away. Zelena returns to the farmhouse with baby Robin, where the Evil Queen tries to interest her in a sisterly chat. ("The Savior")

After this, the Queen takes Zelena out to the graveyard, where they approach the vault, which Regina previously sealed with blood magic. Zelena initially tries to block her from going in, but her resistance turns to curiosity when the Queen enters and begins gathering magic ingredients. She implies that the Queen might harm Regina, and the latter explains her actual plan is to prove Regina can never escape who she really is. Zelena asks what she gets out of not ratting her out, the Queen declares that she'll get a sister who appreciates her darker qualities. The Queen then teleports away and leaves Zelena to contemplate her words. The day after, Zelena is called by Regina to the townline, where someone has enacted a shield to keep people from leaving Storybrooke. Regina accuses her sister of breaking into the vault and using her ingredients to make the spell, especially Zelena is the only other person who can break the blood magic seal. Zelena retorts that this isn't true, as she knows about the Evil Queen, but when Regina prompts her further, she doesn't tell her about the Queen. The redhead regains her cool, stating she is tired of being questioned, and then teleports away. Sometime in the night, Zelena goes to check on her crying daughter, and finds the Queen soothing baby Robin with a rattle. The Queen mentions that, when she herself was a baby, Cora used it on her. She gifts the rattle to Zelena as thanks for not telling Regina about her, and agrees to never doubt her again. The Queen insists she is the sister that Zelena should have since they both want the same things, and Regina is not dark enough for Zelena. ("A Bitter Draught")

When Regina asks her about whether she was approached by the Queen, Zelena is not in a hurry to answer her, and instead shushes her for disturbing Robin's sleep. Regina notices a familiar looking rattle in the baby's crib, which she sees as proof that the Queen did come to Zelena. The redhead huffs and admits it's true, to which Regina insists she has to return the rattle to the Queen. Zelena protests against this because it's the only family heirloom she has, but Regina warns there are strings attached with the gift. She asks Regina to stop judging her, while the latter explains that she's just trying to save her. Zelena scoffs, recalling Regina needed saving so badly that she ripped herself in half, and that if anyone is to blame, it's Regina. ("The Other Shoe")

At some point during the day, Zelena bumps into Mr. Gold on the street, and she sees his new haircut for the first time. On the Queen's orders, she keeps Archie as a hostage in her home. Archie tries to reason with her by insisting she doesn't have to follow the Queen's orders and can be whoever she wants to be without standing in anyone's shadow, however, this irritates Zelena, who is sick of his psychoanalytic nonsense. Zelena eventually releases Archie from his binds, but only to let him tend to baby Robin. When the Queen returns, she persuades Zelena to come with her for a girls' day out, and threatens Archie with a death sentence if he doesn't take care of Robin while they are gone. As an extra preventive measure, Zelena enacts a barrier spell on the house to keep Archie from leaving. The sisters have a spa day, and while getting their nails done, they talk about Mr. Gold and the change in him since his separation from Belle. Zelena asks if she's ever gotten intimate with Mr. Gold, which the Queen doesn't answer and instead asks her the same question. The redhead denies it and admits she did try once when she was still "wicked". The Queen notes that Zelena no longer embraces her darker side, but only because the other townspeople, including Regina, do not appreciate Zelena's gifts like she does. She encourages Zelena to be wicked again, and this time, to give baby Robin the chance to accept the real her. After returning home, Zelena puts this plan into motion by transforming Archie into a cricket in front of her daughter. ("Street Rats")

While the Queen is talking to Regina outside the farmhouse, Zelena comes out to join her dark sister, not knowing Snow and David have sneaked inside to free cricket Archie. Zelena becomes aware of the intruders after hearing baby Robin crying, and she rushes back into the home to find the pair standing over her daughter's crib. Despite Snow protesting that they weren't going to hurt the baby, Zelena retrieves her daughter and then stands behind the Queen for protection. ("Dark Waters")

At home, Zelena is feeding her baby with a bottle when the Queen returns to report Mr. Gold is helping her get revenge on Snow. She becomes curious about what kind of deal the Queen and Mr. Gold struck up, and insinuates that they exchanged something more than that, but the Queen denies they did. After a crow delivers a message from the Queen to her, Zelena shows up to the pawnshop, just as the note asked her to. She finds the Queen and Mr. Gold in the backroom as they are in the middle of a tryst, and promptly storms out of the room in disgust over her sister's lies. Zelena's neck turns green out of jealousy, and when the Queen stops her from leaving the shop, she criticizes her sister for her dishonesty because they were supposed to be a team with no secrets or lies. She suspects the Queen wanted her to be envious of her and Mr. Gold by purposely leading her to the shop, but the Queen confirms she did not write the note, which the trio learn was Regina's doing. While the Queen is waiting in the cemetery for David and Snow to forfeit their hearts to her, Zelena shows up to watch the spectacle. She coyly implies to Belle that Mr. Gold's deal to help the Queen involved more than just business. ("Heartless")

When Belle requests Zelena's help with using the Sorcerer's wand in order to escape from Mr. Gold, Zelena is not interested in getting involved, until Belle reminds her that they both have been disappointed by the people they love. The women persuade Aladdin to procure the wand from the pawnshop, and he eventually gives it to them. Zelena becomes distracted as she studies the wand, even with Belle asking to be sent to the Enchanted Forest right away before Mr. Gold finds her. Mr. Gold teleports in, magicks the wand into his hand, and then clasps a tracking bracelet on Belle to prevent her from going anywhere without his knowledge. He tries to intimidate Belle by reminding her that he usually takes children instead of giving them away, with Zelena chiming in that he did no such thing with his first-born. An angered Mr. Gold magically constricts Zelena's throat, but he lets go of her after having strange chest pains. Zelena then merrily reveals that, during her run-in with him in New York, she put an enchantment on his heart to prevent him from hurting her without harming himself. Swearing to find a loophole around it, Mr. Gold teleports out, and later, he asks the Queen to kill Zelena. ("I'll Be Your Mirror")

While Zelena is caring for her daughter, the Queen comes to visit with ominous news relating to Mr. Gold. Zelena is unaware anything is amiss until the Queen instructs her to put down the baby, to which she figures out that she means to kill her on Mr. Gold's orders. Zelena places Robin in her crib, and then turns around to face the Queen. After the Queen teleports both of them outside, she attacks Zelena with a fireball, causing her to be thrown back into a tree. The Queen then goes in to finish Zelena off for good, but Regina forces her to stop, and makes her retreat after using her own heart to demonstrate that a heart squeeze effects both of them. After being healed by Regina's magic, Zelena expresses gratitude towards Regina for saving her. Zelena is sorry for not being the one to reach out to her and apologize, but Regina states that she didn't come to apologize, and she actually came to look for magic. Zelena becomes upset at her for this and questions why she even saved her. Regina explains she did because it was the right thing to do as a hero, even with people who have hurt her in unimaginable ways. Realizing her sister still blames her for Robin's death, Zelena asks why forgiveness and redemption aren't possible for her when Regina went down the same path of growing and changing into a different person. Regina declares that Zelena is not her, and thus, she cannot ever forgive her, even if she can go as far as to pity her, hate her, or spare her life. ("Changelings")

Upon hearing that Robin is back in Storybrooke, Zelena appears on Regina's doorstep, with demands to see him herself as she fears he will take baby Robin away from her. Regina refuses to let her in and instead explains that she is waiting for the right time to tell him about the baby. With a tone of finality, Zelena warns that if Robin tries anything with her daughter or as so much as comes near her, she will hurt him. After giving Regina this message, she teleports away in a puff of green smoke. ("Murder Most Foul")

As Zelena reaches the doorstep of her house, she cradles baby Robin, while singing a variation of "The Three Little Pigs" nursery rhyme, by substituting the word "pig" for "munchkin". When she steps into the house, however, she senses the other Robin is there. She goes into the kitchen to anniliate him with a fireball as her rage blossoms, though Robin casually suggests Regina will be quite upset with her if she causes another Robin's death. This comment does little to deter Zelena, who still believes killing him is the only way to stop him from taking her daughter. Robin affirms he doesn't care for children and instead wants her to craft a potion to break the protection spell on the town line so he can leave Storybrooke forever. His reason for leaving, which is because Regina keeps trying to change him into someone he is not, is an experience Zelena herself can relate to. Robin also appeals to Zelena's own desire to leave town because she is not well-liked in Storybrooke, which finally convinces the redhead to help him. After finishing the potion, Zelena brings her daughter with her to the town line, as well as the transfigured Evil Queen, whom she stole from David and Mary Margaret. She hands the potion to Robin, but before he can use it, Regina teleports in to stop him. In the end, the potion doesn't work because even Regina hasn't yet figured out a way to undo the barrier that was the Evil Queen's creation. Zelena pays Regina a visit in the vault later to return the caged Queen and apologizes for going behind her back by aiding Robin. Regina, in turn, owns up to the situation being her fault, because of her idea to split her darker self and her inability to move on from Robin. When Regina removes the cover from the cage, she and Zelena are shocked to see it is empty and that the Queen is gone. ("Ill-Boding Patterns")

With Regina, Zelena goes to the loft to tell Emma, Snow and Henry about the escaped Queen. Zelena immediately notices the engagement ring on Emma's hand, with Emma happily confirming that Hook proposed to her. She and the heroes later take turns looking at Page 23, an alternate storybook page of Regina and the original Robin that the Queen gave to Henry. They discuss the Queen's possible plans to kill Regina, and although this shouldn't be possible, Zelena wonders if she simply found another way around the issue. After Regina succeeds in reforming the Queen by giving her half of her own lightness, Zelena continues to be skeptical about the woman's capacity for change and suggests Regina is putting too much trust in someone who may just be pretending to be good but is actually still be evil. ("Page 23")

Despite the risks involved, Zelena and Regina attempt to uncurse Snow and David's hearts by using a potion to clear out the darknesses in both heart halves. Zelena takes out a sleeping David's heart while Regina takes Snow's heart before both are placed in the potion. The sisters place the hearts back into each person's chest after the dark spots in the hearts disappear, but a fail-safe from when the Queen initally cast the joint sleeping curse prevents Snow and David from being uncursed. As Zelena notes, instead of the potion weakening the curse, it weakened the hearts. Later, David notices flower petals in the background of a video message Snow recently recorded for him, which Zelena recognizes as pixie petals that manifested due to the presence of great evil. From this, Zelena suspects that whoever Emma is meant to face in the final battle is already in Storybrooke. After Zelena and the others locate the area where the pixie flowers are, Emma and Snow go to collect some. ("Awake")

At home, Zelena prepares a milk bottle for baby Robin, only to find the Black Fairy holding her and goes to retrieve her baby. The Black Fairy offers her an alliance, noting that she seems alone in the town, though Zelena refuses. Before departing, the Black Fairy keeps the deal open, telling Zelena to come to the mines if she changes her mind. Zelena informs the heroes about what happened and wants to finish off the fairy right away, but Regina objects in favor of forming a plan first. This upsets Zelena, who leaves and goes to ask Belle to babysit baby Robin for her. In the pawnshop backroom, she walks in on Belle tending to an unconscious Mother Superior. Zelena heads to the mines to kill the Black Fairy but Regina follows her there, insisting she's stopping her for her own good. Criticizing Regina's sudden concern for her, she points out that in all the time Regina spent grieving for Robin Hood and blaming her for his death, she sacrificed Hades just to save Regina, only to be shunned by her. When Zelena still refuses to give up, Regina tosses her into a wall, which triggers a quake that seals them in. The two sisters continue arguing, with Regina asking why she needs to be the best, and Zelena proclaims that it's because she is the best. Deeper in the mines, after Gideon incapacitates Regina, the Black Fairy leads Zelena into a cave full of light fairy crystals. Zelena blasts her with magic, but it doesn't effect the Black Fairy, who uses it to imbue the crystals with dark magic. As the Black Fairy explains why Zelena's magic, which is at a disbalance due to her lack of love and desire to prove herself, was exactly what she needed to turn the crystals dark, Zelena realizes the fairy offered her a faux alliance knowing that she would make the wrong choice by coming to the mines. In the aftermath, Regina has had enough of Zelena ruining everything and gives her a dark crystal, telling her to return to Oz where she can be as powerful as she wishes to be. Taking Robin with her, Zelena summons a cyclone to go back but instead takes the Crimson Heart from Oz, believing it can revert the dark crystals to light if the heart absorbs all her magic. She apologizes to Regina for her earlier arrogance and asks for one more chance to fix things since Regina is all she has left as everyone who once knew her in Oz now hates her. Before using the heart, she has Regina promise to look after Robin if anything goes wrong. Once Zelena loses her magic, the crystals change back to light magic. Zelena complains about feeling weak without magic, however, Regina praises her for looking stronger before hugging her. When Emma mentions Mother Superior might be helpful in their next step to take down the Black Fairy, Zelena reveals the nun's whereabouts and is present as she is revived. ("Where Bluebirds Fly")

In her sister's house, Zelena attempts to put together an IKEA baby crib but finds it hard to do by hand. She feels useless without her magic, despite Regina reminding her that she helped save everyone by giving it up. When Zelena starts to question how she will even protect her own daughter once the final battle comes, Regina teaches her how to drive so she can have an escape plan in the future. Zelena has a rough time learning and becomes easily frustrated after ramming the car into some garbage cans. Regina then reveals she wanted her to know how to drive because she wishes for her to take Henry out of Storybrooke and to New York when the final battle occurs. Zelena is touched by her sister trusting her enough to raise Henry, to which Regina cheekily replies that Henry would be the one raising her. With her mood considerably better, Zelena readies herself to have another go at driving, but Regina gets a phone call from Snow and the two figure out the other half of the broken wand is hidden in the diner. Zelena offers to drive Regina there, though her sister declines and instead teleports away. During the face-off between Regina and the Black Fairy, she protects her sister by running her car into the fairy, who is sent into the air and takes a rough tumble before teleporting out. ("The Black Fairy")

At Emma's house, Zelena shares drinks with the bride-to-be before Snow brings out her old wedding dress for her daughter to try on, however, Emma is unable to wear it when the Black Fairy suddenly dyes it black before making her presence known. Zelena angrily watches as the Black Fairy mocks Emma for still being the orphan little girl she always has been and cautions her and everyone else present to look in the clock tower if they wish to know what she has in store for them. She goes with Emma, Regina, Hook, David, and Snow to the tower, where they find a cloud of dark fairy dust which is set to unleash another Dark Curse when the clock stops at six o'clock. Zelena joins her sister in the vault to figure out a solution by reminding Regina that she was the first person to cast the Black Fairy's curse and that there must be something she can do. Regina then realizes the time freezing component in the curse can be isolated to stop the curse from happening. While Regina succeeds in creating this potion, Mr. Gold steals the bottled concoction and uses it to freeze Zelena, Regina, Hook, and Emma's parents in order to weaken Emma's resolve so she will forfeit her heart to the Black Fairy. Instead, Emma unlocks a song inside herself and uses the power in it to unfreeze her family and friends. After the Black Fairy retreats, the wedding commences, with Zelena attending with her daughter Robin to watch Emma and Hook be married by Archie. Zelena and Regina celebrate in the aftermath by singing together with everyone about a happy beginning, but by the song's end, the clock strikes six o'clock, causing the curse smoke to pour out of the shattered clock face. As Zelena watches the tendrils of smoke spread out, she hugs Robin, bracing for whatever the curse is bringing. ("The Song in Your Heart")

During Fourth Curse

Under the Black Fairy's Dark Curse, Zelena and her daughter Robin are taken to Oz, where the realm itself begins fading away because of Emma's loss of belief in magic. Zelena finds one of the Mad Hatter's hats and uses it to help her, Robin, and some munchkins escape to the Enchanted Forest, where she tracks down Regina, Hook, Snow White, and Prince Charming at Regina's old palace. After Zelena takes them into the inside of the hat to see that Oz no longer exists, numerous other inhabitants from other realms arrive after escaping their lands, including Aladdin and Jasmine. Aladdin suggests using the hat he came through to get back to Storybrooke, but when Zelena points out that it won't work since the town is in a Land Without Magic, Hook implies that he might have a way. Regina then teleports all of them back to her palace, where she and Zelena begin working on a potion to travel realms. Zelena cannot find lizardhorn, an ingredient her sister asks for, to which Regina deducts that someone must've broken in and stolen it all. As the two attempt to narrow down who it could be, they hear a noise at the door and go to investigate, only to find the Evil Queen on the other side. After hearing the Queen explain her reasons for changing homes since everyone in the Wish Realm wanted her dead, Zelena inquiries if she killed Robin, which the latter denies by insisting she and her sweetheart have changed from their darker ways. ("The Final Battle Part 1")

Upon Hook returning with a magic bean that no longer has magic in it because of Emma's fading belief, Zelena suggests that Regina and the Queen can combine powers to reinvigorate it. When the realm begins to rapidly collapse as Regina fails to restore the bean, Zelena clings onto her daughter and sister as she prepares to be wiped out of existence, however, the calamity stops with the return of Emma's belief. ("The Final Battle Part 2")

Zelena later attends baby Gideon's first birthday and provides the balloons for the party with Regina. ("Beauty")

Because of the residual effects of the fifth curse which sent those affected by it back into the past, Zelena's grown-up daughter Robin from a future timeline is able to come to the Storybrooke that currently exists. As Zelena is in the middle of driving her five-year-old daughter to Ashley's daycare center, she stops the car and gets out before noticing two women standing in front of her. Thinking that they are gawking at her because she is the Wicked Witch, Zelena tells them to hurry up with snapping their selfies. Adult Robin asks for Regina, and Zelena states that her sister and Emma took Henry on a graduation trip and then tries to make the women leave by threatening to turn them into flying monkeys. However, adult Robin reveals that she knows Zelena no longer having magic is the reason why she can't just poof her daughter to the daycare, in addition to the fact she actually dislikes driving. Zelena becomes defensive over how much this apparent stranger knows about her, to which adult Robin gives her the short version of the dilemma she and Tilly are in, explaining she is actually Zelena's daughter and they need her to fetch the magic bean she has hidden behind the cupboard to help their family. Using the bean, Zelena joins Robin and Tilly in the Wish Realm and rescues Rogers, Weaver, adult Henry, Jacinda, and Lucy from the snowglobe world by giving them Maui's hook. After Henry frees an imprisoned Roni with Snow White and Prince Charming's help, Zelena and the others gather with them at the castle's war council table, where they discuss the storybooks Wish Rumplestiltskin has made to entrap each of them in unhappy lives in alternate realms. While Henry, Robin, Tilly, and Rogers go to find Weaver, everyone else including Zelena works on alerting the inhabitants of the Wish Realm about Rumplestiltskin. Eventually, Weaver eliminates Rumplestiltskin by sacrificing his own life to kill him. ("Leaving Storybrooke")

Some point after this, Zelena and Robin travel to a place where time moves faster until the latter is 17 years old.[3]

After they return to Storybrooke while a few months have passed here, Zelena catches Robin, who is now eighteen years old, in Regina's vault attempting to cast a spell to summon Mother Nature. She is upset to learn from her daughter that Regina gave her a spell book and tries to caution her on the dangers of magic, but Robin simply thinks her mother is being too uptight and controlling. Zelena grounds Robin before forcing her to relinquish her phone to her, to which Robin storms out to go home alone after telling Zelena that she has had enough mothering for a lifetime. However, Robin disappears once outside, having been whisked away to Mother Nature. ("Secret Garden")

Zelena then uses a portal to get to the New Enchanted Forest to find Regina, who left recently to rescue Henry from Lady Tremaine. As she explains that Mother Nature, a woman named Gothel, is harmless in the Land Without Magic but powerful in this realm, Hook interjects into the conversation as he recognizes the witch's name. Zelena then looks confusedly at him, recalling she just saw him with Emma in Storybrooke, before remembering there are now two Hooks. Hook tries to join Zelena when she leaves to go after Gothel, and at first, she wants nothing to do with him, going as far as to snidely give him the nickname "Nook" and insisting that as the Wicked Witch, she works alone. However, he persuades her into letting him go with her even though she may not care for his reasons for wanting to get even with Gothel. Somehow, Hook acquires a map for the location of Memento Mori, where Gothel is likely to be, and he follows the clues on it to find the invisible door entrance. Inside, Zelena and Hook interrupt Madame Leota's seance to confront Gothel about Robin, but Leota demonstrates her immense power by pinning Hook to the wall. Robin arrives to stop the assault, and when given a chance to make her own choice, she decides to stay with Gothel and magicks a door for her mother and Hook to leave. Zelena departs while fighting back tears, but Hook convinces Zelena to go back for her daughter and prove to her that, above all, she truly loves her. Zelena returns in time to save Robin from being sacrificed to the Resurrection Amulet and agrees to take her place instead. She shouts for her daughter to run away, but Robin instead seizes a bow and arrow to knock the amulet from Gothel's hand. After Hook grabs the amulet, Robin intimidates Gothel into teleporting away. Afterward, Robin makes up with her mother, apologizing for doubting her, as Zelena apologizes for not being supportive and agrees she will now no matter what path she takes in life. Zelena gives her the amulet to reabsorb the magic that Gothel took from her, but Robin realizes she never wanted magic and was only trying to be live up to Zelena's reputation as a powerful witch. Deciding her talent is in archery like her father Robin Hood, Robin encourages her mother to use the amulet instead, and Zelena complies, regaining magic she hasn't had in years. ("Secret Garden")

Sometime after Zelena stays in the New Enchanted Forest, she joins her sister, Hook, Henry, Cinderella, and Henry and Cinderella's baby daughter Lucy by a campfire in the woods, where, from a distance, Hook's daughter Alice observes them through a spyglass.[4]("The Girl in the Tower")

At some point later, Zelena ends up living on a farm with Robin in the New Enchanted Forest, where time runs differently, resulting in Robin being twenty-five years old by the time of Lucy's eighth birthday. Zelena comes out from her farm to greet Regina, whom Robin had loosed warning shots at as she mistook her for an intruder. When Regina informs her sister about Drizella being freed by some cloaked creatures, Zelena recognizes them as the same dark coven of witches who attempted to invite her to join them. Regina suggests they are powerful enough to take on the witches, an idea Zelena agrees with by taking off her apron and stating she'll go get her wand. After Henry is kidnapped by the coven, the sisters confront Drizella as Hook, Jack, and Cinderella ambush the other witches. As Regina magically subdues Drizella, Zelena takes the curse scroll from Drizella by teleporting it into her hand and handing it to her sister. The plan falls apart when Drizella reveals she won't be casting the curse and then blackmails Regina into enacting the curse to save Henry, whose heart is now poisoned, by bringing him to a Land Without Magic. Zelena, at first, tries to stop Regina because it's not what Henry wants, but Hook persuades Zelena to let her sister do it, as she would likely make the same choice if it was for Robin or for their allies. Once the curse is cast, Zelena is swept away to Hyperion Heights along with everyone else. ("The Eighth Witch")

During Fifth Curse

After Regina casts Drizella's curse to save Henry's life, Zelena becomes Kelly West, the co-owner of Kelly and Roni's Pub along with her sister Roni in Hyperion Heights. Kelly's daughter, Margot, is persuaded by Roni to not get an education and to instead work at the pub, in addition to Roni later providing her with a ticket to Amsterdam. However, this backfires, with Margot deciding to stay in Phuket and party her life away. Kelly blames Roni for causing her to lose her daughter and is pushed out of Hyperion Heights by Victoria Belfrey before moving to San Francisco, where she becomes a spin instructor. After Kelly's leaving, Roni renames the pub to simply "Roni's" and remodels some of the interior design. During Kelly's stay in San Francisco, she becomes engaged to Chad. ("Pretty in Blue", "The Eighth Witch", "Secret Garden")

After Roni remembers herself to be Regina, she takes Henry with her to San Francisco in order to find Kelly and get her help with defeating Gothel. The pair attend one of Kelly's spin classes, and after the class is over, Kelly notices Roni there and angrily confronts her. Roni tries to apologize for the past and asks her to have a drink with her, but Kelly refuses before storming off. Later, Kelly carries a garment cover with her on her way out, and as she hangs it up in order to close the studio door behind her, she sees Roni in the hallway. Roni, with plans of jolting her memory, gives Kelly a cup of whiskey that has a magic in it which will trigger her real memories. Kelly mentions how she would much rather a cucumber mint honey lavender water, but Roni insists on the whiskey. As Roni looks on expectantly, Kelly downs the drink before coughing over the taste of it, without recovering her memories. Roni then cuts to the chase by telling Kelly that they were cursed and their real identities as the Evil Queen and Wicked Witch. Kelly begins asking her what she means, but then, she receives a flood of memories before recognizing Roni as Regina. The two sisters reconcile as Roni informs her about Gothel. Kelly prepares to accompany her back to Hyperion Heights, however, she hesitates after seeing her garment cover. She is unsure about leaving behind the life that she had and then unzips the cover to reveal the wedding dress she planned to wear. She admits that, although she is now awake, she still feels like her cursed persona and still loves her fiancé, however, she also cares for Roni and agrees to help her defeat Gothel. Later, Roni receives a phone call from Henry, who had rushed back to Hyperion Heights to see Jacinda's daughter Lucy because she fell into a coma. Kelly suggests true love's kiss could work, but Roni states Henry already tried it and it didn't work because Lucy's belief was taken by Victoria. Kelly then realizes that if they wish to help Lucy, the curse has to be broken, but doing so will cause Henry to die as his heart was poisoned by Drizella prior to the curse being cast. ("The Eighth Witch")

On return to Hyperion Heights, Kelly accompanies Roni to the hospital, where Henry tells Roni about Lucy's stable but unchanged condition. Kelly calls Margot, who does not pick up, and leaves her a message asking to speak with her soon about some recent changes in her life. Gothel approaches her with a promise to revive Lucy if she gives her the Resurrection Amulet. Despite not having a real plan to both save Henry and Lucy without either of them dying, Roni is certain she and Kelly can figure out together. Kelly relays the deal to Roni and suggests they pretend to play along with Gothel's game, which Roni agrees with by saying they should locate the amulet first and find a way to use it without paying the price of its magic. Upon entering the bar, which is now named "Roni's", Kelly notices all the refurnishing her sister did from how everything used to look. In the bar storage room, Kelly and Roni find the old bar sign and talk about using it again if Kelly decides to stay in Hyperion Heights. Kelly then smashes the sign into pieces, which shocks Roni until Kelly picks through the debris to retrieve a circular red stone that is actually the amulet. When Victoria shows up to intimidate them with a gun, she agrees she was willing to sacrifice Lucy because of her own desperation to save her own child, but to prove she is no monster, she needs the amulet so Gothel can restore Lucy, not knowing that another life must be sacrificed for it to work. On return to the hospital to Lucy's room, Kelly and Roni are stunned to see the girl is awake and Henry is unharmed as well, leading them to conclude that Victoria must have sacrificed herself. ("Secret Garden")

As things return to a more-or-less normal state in Hyperion Heights, Kelly resumes working with Roni at the bar. However, she is repeatedly contacted by Chad and is not sure how to explain to him what's going on, and therefore ignores his calls. While both sisters are gone, the bar is visited by Mr. Samdi, who leaves his card with Henry and asks him to have Roni contact him. When Roni and Kelly receive the card, they both realize that Samdi is Dr. Facilier and fear that he may be awake. To test this theory, they try to trick him to see if he reacts, and when he shows up at the bar, Kelly pretends to be Roni and vice versa. They turn down his offer to buy the bar and he tells them to contact him if they change their minds but is seemingly convinced by their charade. Afterward, Kelly and Roni celebrate that Samdi doesn't remember his past as Facilier, but are interrupted by Weaver arriving and revealing that he remembers his as Rumplestiltskin. Roni is briefly irritated that Weaver played dumb when she asked for help, but Weaver explains that he was forced to due to his alliance with Victoria. He talks to them about Doctor Sage's death, which he originally believed was by the Coven of the Eight, but then he discovered that Hilda Braeburn, a known member, was almost killed as well and that he then found a scar on Doctor Sage's wrist indicating that she had a tattoo of the coven's symbol removed. Kelly and Roni realize, shocked, that someone else is murdering members of the coven. ("A Taste of the Heights")

One night as the bar nears closing time, Kelly overhears Roni whispering to Lucy about something that her sister cannot know about. Kelly walks over and asks her what meant by that, and Roni explains she was thinking about adding a kid's menu, which Kelly doesn't see the point of since it's a bar. Roni states that her reaction is exactly why she didn't want to tell her, and then she excuses herself to walk Lucy home. Kelly is given the keys to close the bar for the evening and receives an affectionate kiss on the cheek from Roni as she leaves. However, Kelly remains suspicious that her sister is hiding something from her. The next day, she catches Roni and Mr. Samdi out on a date, during which she hears Samdi call Roni by her uncursed name: Regina. As the sisters bicker, Samdi decides to leave so they can work out their disagreement. Roni tries to get him to stay and have Kelly go instead, but her sister refuses to budge, causing Samdi to depart on his own. Once Samdi is gone, Roni quickly tells Kelly that the date was a cover for Lucy, who is at Samdi's apartment looking for intel. She warns Lucy by text that Samdi is on his way home and then tries to call her, but the girl does not pick up. Kelly wonders why they didn't use walkie-talkies instead since those things make so much noise. Roni then blames Kelly for ruining her plan, while Kelly questions her decision to send Lucy into a snake pit. She defensively states that Samdi is not a snake, to which Kelly points out that she likes him. Roni, neither denying or confirming it, simply says what she would like is to get Lucy out. Sometime later that night, Kelly comes to the bar, where Roni gives her a green appletini and apologizes for not being honest with her but that she will from now on. Roni tells her that Samdi confessed his intentions of killing Weaver and claiming the Dark One Dagger for himself and that despite knowing this, she still has feelings for him. Kelly squeezes her sister's hand in a show of solidarity, assuring her that she isn't judging her. Suddenly, Margot arrives at the bar, having finally returned from her travels to be with her mother and aunt. After Margot goes to freshen up with a shower, Kelly tells Roni how difficult it is to lie to her daughter about who they really are. Roni agrees with her sentiments before clinking drink glasses with her. ("The Girl in the Tower")

While Roni is away from the bar, Kelly is in the backroom with Lucy working on a cauldron brew to help Henry's poisoned heart which she states will only become magical if her sister finds the last ingredient. Lucy asks what will happen if Roni doesn't, and Kelly pointedly tells her that Henry will remain poisoned and the curse stays intact. Seeing Lucy's downtrodden expression at her words, Kelly apologizes for her bluntness as it's been a while since she has been around kids. Lucy is impatient about getting the curse broken because she doesn't want to continue lying to her mother, which Kelly relates to as she desperately wants to be honest with Margot but cannot as she is afraid her daughter will think she is crazy. Later, Kelly walks out to the front of the bar to see Lucy off, telling her that she'll call her as soon as Roni returns. Margot, who is working at the counter, curiously asks about Lucy. Kelly tells her that she is a friend's kid who she was helping with a school project. Margot assumed she was doing the inventory, to which Kelly states she was working on both and asks her to stop with the third-degree. As Kelly tries to walk away, Margot questions what is going on with her, especially since Kelly told her on the phone that she had certain "life changes" she wanted to discuss with her but so far, she's told her nothing. Margot can't understand why her mother left her life and fiancé, Chad, behind in San Francisco, and gives her the chance to come clean to her. When Kelly admits she cannot and pleads for her daughter to be patient, Margot declares she is done doing that and regrets coming back to Hyperion Heights. However, with advice from Tilly, Margot has a change of heart and later apologizes to her mother, agreeing to wait until she is ready to share the truth with her. Having had time to think about what Margot said earlier, Kelly concedes that she misses Chad, to which her daughter suddenly recalls someone left something for her outside the bar. Margot, believing the gift is from Chad, hands her a heart-shaped box with her name on it, but a shocked Kelly realizes she is now the Candy Killer's next target. ("Breadcrumbs")

Having been distracted by the heart-shaped box, Kelly does not call Roni to inform her that Henry left to New York, though she is unaware that Nick is holding him captive in his apartment. After ignoring a call from Chad, Kelly sees Roni returning to the bar and confesses about Henry's departure and her belief that Chad would've never chosen her if he knew her as Zelena. Later, Kelly and Margot go to the police station, where Kelly asks to see Weaver, though Rogers tells her he'll handle the situation instead. While Margot and Rogers leave to talk things out at the cafeteria, Kelly asks Weaver for help, and while he still harbors a grudge against her, he eventually agrees to help and returns her her old pendant that she can use against Nick. Kelly returns to the bar and prepares to use Roni's bat to defeat Nick, and Roni tells her he won't let Nick kill her, as no one gets to kill her "big sis" except Roni herself. Later, during a call with Chad, Kelly discovers that he is being held captive by Nick, who tells her if she ever wants to see Chad again, she will do exactly what he says. ("Chosen")

After Nick has Chad moved to the bar basement, Kelly finds him, only for Nick to try and kill her. She overpowers him, but instead of killing him with his knife, she declares she's not that type of person anymore and knocks him unconscious. Kelly then frees Chad and confesses mostly everything, including who Zelena is. Instead of returning the ring, Chad tells her that, when he proposed to her, he signed up for everything, including the things he didn't know and that whoever she was as Zelena, she's different now. The two reconcile with a kiss, and the police arrive to arrest Nick. When Roni returns, she gives her blessing for Kelly to return to San Francisco to marry Chad and the two share a goodbye hug, which Margot walks in on. Margot wonders about Kelly's identity before she met Chad was and deduces that she was a "crime boss". Kelly reveals to Margot that she and Chad are returning to San Francisco and asks her if she would like to come with them. When Margot declines and says she found someone in Hyperion Heights she might be willing to stick around for, Kelly embarrasses her by offering up encouragement for her to get to know more people, "especially cute blonde ones", a clear reference to Tilly, a girl Margot recently befriended. She then gives Margot her old pendant and tells Margot she wants her to be her maid of honor at her and Chad's wedding. Margot is elated over this, to which Kelly tells her that as happy as she is now, her happiness began when Margot came into her life. The two share a hug, while, in the police station, Nick is killed by Mr. Samdi. ("Chosen")

After Sixth Curse

Sometime after Regina unites all the realms, Kelly regains her magic. The citizens of the United Realms elect Regina as their Queen. To bring her to the surprise coronation, Zelena drives her sister there under the pretense they are going to a meeting for state affairs, and along the way, they see Maleficent flying overhead in her dragon form. After getting to the castle, they are joined by Henry as Regina realizes something is up. Henry implies she is right, to which Zelena jokingly reminds him to stick to their plan of "Operation Keep Your Trap Closed". Further down the hallway, Zelena poofs herself into the throne room while Sir Henry and the other Henry walk Regina in, where everyone is waiting for their new Queen. Zelena is present for her sister's crowning ceremony, which is briefly interrupted when Emma, Hook, and baby Hope arrive, before it resumes with Regina being named "the Good Queen" as she is crowned by Snow White. Afterward, she and the crowd of people listen to Regina give a resounding speech about the wonders and losses that are a part of life and make people who they are. ("Leaving Storybrooke")

Character Notes

After Regina takes back her mother's old spell book from Mr. Gold, he warns her against the potential effects of the book's magic. She responds, "I don't care if they turn me green"; an early reference to the Wicked Witch of the West.[7]("We Are Both")

Production Notes

Rebecca Mader's scenes as the Wicked Witch were filmed with a blue background screen rather than the typical green screen, which used for other characters during filming, because her green make-up blends too much into the green screen.[9]

At least five different shades of green are used to make Rebecca Mader's skin green for her role as the Wicked Witch.[10] Incidentally, Rebecca Mader also later stated in another interview that seven shades of green are used.[9]

Sean Maguire did not know Marian was going to be revealed as Zelena until the show runners told him.[14]

Also, before the episode "Snow Drifts" aired, when the showrunners had been asked in an interview whether if Zelena will be back in the Season Four, they strongly replied with the answer "Yes".[15]

The casting call for her younger self describes her as "11-13 to PLAY 12. Has not yet transformed into the evil, Wicked Witch of Oz. Wretchedly poor and despised by her father for her magicalgifts, Zelena only wishes to escape her terrible fate. And then, one day, she discovers that the key to that escape may actually be in the magic he loathes so much. Giving her a chance to prove her worth, and change her life forever..."[16]

She was supposed to appear in the Season Six episode "Tougher Than the Rest" , however, her scenes were cut for unknown reasons.[18] She was in at least three different scenes and heavily featured in the plot.

50-pound baby dolls were used to portray her daughter Robin in some scenes of Season Five and Six. According to Rebecca Mader, it was really hard to hold a doll with one hand, while doing something else with the other hand. When she was shooting long scenes, she ended up loosing the feeling in the shoulder holding the doll.[19]

According to Rebecca Mader, "Kelly and Zelena are completely different" as Kelly is "a bit more sweet and less complex than Zelena".[19]

When Zelena is putting together a baby crib,[24] she says that she's just been soundly defeated by Sniglar and adds that she didn't name it, but IKEA did; a reference to the famous furniture retailer. Sniglar is the name of the baby crib from IKEA.[25](The Black Fairy)

Kelly's occupation as a peddling instructor is a reference to the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz, in which Miss Gulch, the Wicked Witch of the West's Kansas counterpart, is a strict woman who rides her bicycle everywhere. ("The Eighth Witch")

Props Notes

Alchemical signs for the four elements[26] are carved into the table[27] and the stone pillars where Zelena and her fellow sister witches are gathered. Fittingly enough, the element of Wicked Witch of the West (🜄, downward-pointing triangle) is water, which is associated with the west[28]("Kansas")

The design on Zelena's compass[29] is the same as the witches' table[30] in Oz except that the colors are different. The back on the chairs around the table[31] and the illustration on the cover of the Book of Records have the same design.[32]("Kansas")

Set Dressing

There is a bicycle with a basket in Zelena's porch, which references Miss Gulch, the Wicked Witch of the West's Kansas counterpart, from the 1939 The Wizard of Oz film, who has a similar bicycle. ("The Tower")

↑Dove, Steve (October 10, 2012). Storybrooke Secrets: We Are Both. ABC. Archived from the original on April 15, 2016. “And while Regina's picking up her old spell book, Gold (Rumplestiltskin) warns her about the potential effects of the spell book's magic. She responds, "I don't care if they turn me green," like the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz.”

↑ 19.019.1Abrams, Natalie (December 13, 2017). Once Upon a Time's Rebecca Mader previews Zelena's return. Entertainment Weekly. “Super excited to not be holding a heavy doll this season. [Laughs] It really hurt! I said to the props master, "Why the bloody hell are these dolls heavier than an actual baby?" They weigh like 50 pounds, and I always had to hold it with one hand, because with my other hand, I'd be poofing out or making a fireball. So try holding a 50-pound doll for a seven-hour scene and I'd lose the feeling in my left shoulder.”